Genitourinary disorders are often difficult to diagnose and treat effectively because they are present non-specifically. Two causes of genitourinary disorders in men are disorders of the prostate gland and the testis.
The prostate is a variable sized gland located in the male pelvis, and is made up of several different cell types, including epithelial cells and stromal cells. Prostate-associated disorders include prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and prostatitis. The male hormone testosterone and other androgen related hormones have major roles in the growth and function of the prostate. The testis is also subject to many defects, including developmental anomalies, inflammation, and cancer.
In men, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer mortality following skin cancer. In the initial stages, prostate cancer is dependent on androgens for growth, and this dependence is the basis for androgen ablation therapy. In most cases, however, prostate cancer progresses to an androgen-independent phenotype for which there is no effective therapy available at present.
Currently, there is limited information regarding the molecular details of prostate cancer progression. Several independent approaches resulted in the identification of a few highly prostate-enriched genes that may have unique roles in this process. The first such gene discovered was Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), the detection of which is currently used as a diagnostic tool and also as a marker for the progression of prostate cancer, albeit with significant limitations. More recently, several additional prostate-enriched genes were identified including prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), prostate carcinoma tumor antigen 1 (PCTA-1), NKX3.1, prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), DD3, and PCGEM1.
It would be beneficial to provide reagents useful for the diagnosis and therapy of disorders associated with the prostate and the testis, as well as other tissues.